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exempt nonresident active-duty military personnel and their dependents from payment of motor vehicle license fees.

Active-duty military personnel stationed in South Dakota and their dependents who are not South Dakota residents can now apply to be exempt from paying motor vehicle license fees for one personal vehicle (car, pickup truck, or van). They must provide military orders or proof of active-duty status to qualify for the exemption, which can be renewed yearly but does not cover specialty license plate fees or the state excise tax on vehicle purchases. This creates a new exemption category in South Dakota law to reduce the licensing burden on military members temporarily stationed in the state.

authorize the expansion and renovation of the Sturgis Readiness Center, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota is authorizing the Department of the Military to expand and renovate the Sturgis Readiness Center, with $2.35 million in state funding and $8 million in federal funding available for the project. The bill sets a deadline of June 30, 2031, for spending the appropriated money, after which any unused funds must be returned, and declares an emergency so the authorization takes effect immediately.

authorize the construction of a National Guard vehicle maintenance shop in Sturgis, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota is authorizing the Department of the Military to build a National Guard vehicle maintenance shop in Sturgis and providing $30 million in federal funding for the project. The state auditor will process payments for the construction work, which must be completed by June 30, 2031, or any unspent money will be returned according to state rules.

provide a stipend to certain members of the National Guard who donate an organ for the purpose of transplantation to another individual.

South Dakota's National Guard will now pay stipends to members who donate an organ for transplant, with the amount depending on recovery time: 50% of their monthly basic pay for recoveries of two weeks or less, or 150% for longer recoveries. Members must notify the Department of Military at least one month before the procedure, have the surgery at a certified transplant hospital, and cannot be receiving paid donor leave from another employer to qualify for the stipend.

make an appropriation for roadway and related infrastructure improvements required because of construction activity at Ellsworth Air Force Base and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota is providing $8 million to the Ellsworth Development Authority to pay for road improvements and infrastructure upgrades needed because of construction at Ellsworth Air Force Base. The money can be used for road repairs, widening, safety improvements, engineering studies, and related work to handle the impacts of the base construction activity. The authority must report annually on how the funds are spent and cannot use more than 3 percent of the money for administrative costs.